In connecting together sections of lead-' lined pipe or other interiorly-lined pipe in teriorly-lined couplings have been employed, and in order that the interior or lining joints may be. made tight special couplings have been employed and the ends of the sections of pipe have been covered or protected, so that when such sections of pipe are connected by such a specially-formed coupling the interior lining of the several parts is intact and continuous.

In connecting together sections of interiorly-lined pipe by means of interiorly-lined couplings in such a manner as to insure tight joints a great deal of care must be taken to bring the lining of the several parts into intimate contact.

This invention has for its object to provide means for protecting the connecting-joints of several interiorly-lined parts which does not require that the lining of said several parts shall be brought into intimate-contact or engagement at the joints in order that the parts may be protected at such points; and the invention consists in providing interior jointprotecting thimbles at the connecting-joints as, for instance, there may be a joint-protecting thimble driven into or inserted at each end of each section of pipe, being held in firm contact or engagement with the interior lining thereof, said thimbles projecting a suitable distance, and when two sections of pipe thus provided with joint-protectin g 'thiin bles the interior lining thereof, or said coupling may have a single'interior joint-protecting thimble containedwithin it which shall be made long enough to project at opposite ways sufficiently and in such manner as to enter the sections of interiorly-lined pipe and engage the lining thereof.

Figure 1 shows in longitudinal section two broken-off sections of interiorly-lined pipe and an interiorly-lined coupling and two interior joint-protecting thimbles inserted .at the ends of the sections of pipe and projecting therefrom. Fig. 2 shows a similar view wherein the two j oint-protectin g thimbles are attached to the coupling and caused to enter the sections of interiorly-lined pipe when the similar sectional view wherein a single jointprotecting thimble is employed in lieu of the two thimbles shown in the previous figures.

a b represent two sections of interior-1ylined pipeas, for instance, they may be leadlined-iron pipe.

0 represents an interiorly-lined coupling constructed to connect the two sections a b of pipe together.

d 01 represent joint-protecting thimbles, they being made of brass or any other suitable material and driven into or otherwise inserted at the ends of the sections of pipe and thus brought into engagement or firm contact with the interior lining thereof, and made of suitable length to project a short distance beyond the ends of saidsections of pipe. When the parts,'constructed as herein shown, are coupled together, the joint -.protecting thimbles 61 (Z will be pressed into and thus brought into firm contact or engagement with the interior lining of the coupling, and therefore form a tight interior or lining joint. These joint-protecting thimbles also serve as a means of looking or holding the lining at the ends of the sections of pipe and incidentally keep the lining from working out of the sections of pipe.

The coupling 0 will have a lining with beveled or other shaped ends against which the ing thimbles (Z (Z are held in engagement or firm contact with the interior lining of the coupling and caused to project in such manner as to enter the sections a Z) of pipe when the parts are coupled together and to at such times engage or firmly contact with the interior lining of said sections, thereby forming a tight joint, and said thimbles serve to lock or hold the lining in the coupling and when in engagement with the lining in the sections of pipe will also assist in holding the lining at such points. hen the thimb'les are thus held in and by the coupling, they will be jammed into or abut against the end of the lining in the sections of pipe to form tight joints.

Referring to Fig. 3, a single joint-protecting thimble d is contained within the coupling c and made long enough to extend from end to end of said coupling and to project in opposite ways sufficiently to enter the ends of the sections a b of pipe when the parts are coupled together. \Vhen the thimble is made to thus extend entirely through the coupling 0, said coupling need not be previously lined and the thimble may be expanded or otherwise secured in place, and its projecting ends will abut against orbe jammed into the ends of the lining of the sections, and to thus engage or firmly contact therewith to form a tight joint.

In either case it will be seen that a tight joint can be made, and, further, that the construction is simple and the parts easily coupled together. Herein the part c is referred to as a coupling; but it will be understood that said part may be a union or fitting of any other kind.

I claim Two sections a, b, of interiorly-lined pipe, and a coupling union, or fitting, and one or more interior j oint-protecting thimbles (Z for the connecting-joints, which project into the interiorly-lined sections a, b, and are held in engagement with the lining thereof, to form a tight joint, and which assist in holding said lining in place, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.